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Description: | A fragment of a late early medieval/Viking copper-alloy decorative bridle cheek piece. This cheekpiece is unusual as it has open work circular holes through it and although it is probably still Ringerike in style it does not depict the more typically found curvilinear animals head; see SF-dc65c8, a cheekpiece from Ixworth, Suffolk for an example of this.
The fragment is flat and roughly oval in shape, measuring 53.1mm in length and 30.1mm in width. There are two complete circular holes (9.7mm and 6.5mm in diameter) and one incomplete one (along the incomplete edge of the cheekpiece). These form a longitudinal row across the fragment. One longitudinal edge has four V-shaped notches cut into it, the opposing longitudinal edge has only one central V-shaped notch cut into it. The complete surviving terminal is slighly waisted and then flares outwards, with two more V-shaped notches along its terminal edge. Slight traces of incised grooves can be seen on the front face of this fragment boardering the circular holes and V-shaped notches but they are now very worn. The back face is undecorated. This cheekpiece fragment is therefore unusual in its decorative design and shape, however due to its overall style and the reddish colour of the copper-alloy with the distinctive grass green patina it is still believed to be late early-medieval/Viking in date. | Subjects: | cheek piece | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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